What Was the First Religion?

JulesKorngold

It's difficult to definitively identify the "first religion," as religious practices predate written records. However, here are some key points about the earliest known religious practices:

1. Prehistoric religion:

- Evidence of religious practices dates back as far as 60,000 BCE, long before writing was invented.

- Early religious practices likely involved animism (belief that natural objects have souls) and polytheism (belief in multiple gods).

2. Earliest evidence:

- Archaeological findings suggest burial customs and cult rituals were among the earliest forms of religious practice.

- Cave paintings and figurines provide evidence of prehistoric spiritual beliefs.

3. Animism and shamanism:

- These are considered some of the earliest forms of religious or spiritual practices.

- They likely predate organized religions and may have origins in prehistoric times.

4. Early organized religions:

- Hinduism is often cited as one of the oldest organized religions, with evidence dating back to about 5,500 BCE.

- Jainism is mentioned as one of the earliest known religions, originating around 2,500 years ago.

5. Ancient civilizations:

- Early civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley had complex religious systems by 3500-3000 BCE.

- The Vedic religion in India (precursor to Hinduism) emerged around 1500-1200 BCE.

6. Evolutionary perspective:

- Some scholars suggest that religious beliefs and practices evolved alongside human cognitive development.

- Religion may have served various functions, including explaining natural phenomena and promoting social cohesion.

It's important to note that the concept of "religion" as we understand it today is relatively modern. Early spiritual practices were likely more integrated into daily life and culture rather than existing as separate, organized systems of belief.

Citations:

[1] https://study.com/academy/lesson/history-of-religion-overview-origin-timeline.html

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_religion

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_religion

[4]

[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3w5t33/what_is_the_oldest_known_religion/

[6] https://www.reddit.com/r/religion/comments/12a3clz/what_is_the_oldest_religion_that_can_be_proven/

[7] https://fscj.pressbooks.pub/worldreligions/chapter/why-are-people-religious/

[8] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/why-believe-god-religion-cognitive-psychology-sigmund-freud-a8691221.html

RickeyHoltsclaw

@JulesKorngold

The first religion practiced by humanity was atheism in servitude to the demonic by the Adamic and Noahic generations where all but eight perished in water in divine Judgment.

The first religion described...